Spent the rest of this week about home. Attended our monthly meeting on fifth day, but nothing unusual transpired.
First day, the 23d. Had the company of our friend Mary Post from Westbury, she being engaged in a visit to the families of Friends in our monthly meeting, a very useful service when rightly entered into. My mind in this meeting, was brought under exercise, in the remembrance of the following exhortation of the wise king Solomon, viz: “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” From a consideration of which, I was led to believe there was a very great want of care among people generally, in duly guarding their rising cogitations and thoughts, as it is the avenue by which all temptations enter, and get place in the mind; and, if suited to our natural propensities, too often overcome and lead to undue conduct. The subject spread on my mind, and led to an impressive, and, I trust, to some, an instructive communication; for which my mind was made gratefully thankful to the Author of every blessing.
Fifth day. Had the company of our aforesaid Friend at our meeting to-day, whose simple and plain communication, tended to quicken. A comfortable degree of life accompanied my mind during the meeting, which I accounted a favour, having for some time past witnessed much poverty of spirit in our meetings. The rest of the week I attended to my temporal concerns, as much as my state of health permitted; but being much indisposed with bodily pain, it was but little I could do, except to take some oversight of my business. This I consider one, among many other such like mementos, to remind me of the approach of my bodily dissolution. Be attentive, O my soul! that so thou mayest be in a state of readiness when the midnight cry is heard: “Behold the bridegroom cometh.”
First day, the 30th. My mind was led into close exercise and travail, in the prospect of the very great apparent want of truth and justice among the generality of the professors of Christianity, even of the foremost classes of the different sects. The subject spread and opened to communication, in which the attention of the auditory was impressively called to the subject, as one of the greatest moment, both in respect to our temporal, and, in a very especial manner, our spiritual good; as every other virtue must fail, and prove abortive, where truth and justice are wanting.