I felt a concern in America, to prepare for this voyage; and being through the mercy of God brought safe here, my heart was like a vessel that wanted vent; and for several weeks at first, when my mouth was opened in meetings, it often felt like the raising of a gate in a water course, where a weight of water lay upon it; and in these labours there appeared a fresh visitation of love to many, especially the youth. But some time after this, I felt empty and poor, and yet felt a necessity to appoint meetings.

In this state I was exercised to abide in the pure life of Truth, and in all my labours to watch diligently against the motions of self in my own mind.

I have frequently felt a necessity to stand up, when the spring of the ministry was low, and to speak from the necessity, in that which subjecteth the will of the creature; and herein I was united with the suffering seed, and found inward sweetness in these mortifying labours.

As I have been preserved in a watchful attention to the Divine leader under these dispensations, enlargement at times hath followed, and the power of Truth hath rose higher in some meetings, than I ever knew it before through me.

Thus I have been more and more instructed, as to the necessity of depending, not upon a concern which I felt in America to come on a visit to England, but upon the fresh instructions of Christ, the prince of peace, from day to day.

Now of late, I have felt a stop in the appointment of meetings, not wholly but in part; and I do not feel liberty to appoint them so quick one after another as I have heretofore, [and I feel thankful that I have not noise with me in these slow proceedings.]

The work of the ministry being a work of Divine love, I feel that the openings thereof are to be waited for, in all our appoint

ments.

Oh! how deep is Divine wisdom! Christ puts forth his ministers, and goeth before them; and Oh! how great is the danger of departing from the pure feeling of that which leadeth safely!

Christ knoweth the state of the people, and in the pure feeling of the gospel ministry, their states are opened to his servants. Christ knoweth when the fruit-bearing branches themselves have need of purging.

Oh! that these lessons may be remembered by me! and that all who appoint meetings, may proceed in the pure feeling of duty.

I have sometimes felt a necessity to stand up; but that spirit which is of the world hath so much prevailed in many, and the pure life of Truth been so pressed down, that I have gone forward, not as one travelling in a road cast up, and well prepared, but as a man walking through a miry place, in which are stones here and there, safe to step on; but so situated that one step being taken, time is necessary to see where to step next.

Now I find that in pure obedience the mind learns contentment in appearing weak and foolish to that wisdom which is of the world: and in these lowly labours, they who stand in a low place, rightly exercised under the cross, will find nourishment.

The gift is pure; and while the eye is single in attending thereto, the understanding is preserved clear; self is kept out; and we rejoice in filling up that which remains of the afflictions of Christ for his body's sake, which is the church.

The natural man loveth eloquence, and many love to hear eloquent orations: and if there is not a careful attention to the gift men who have once laboured in the pure gospel ministry, growing weary of suffering, and ashamed of appearing weak, may kindle a fire, compass themselves about with sparks, and walk in the light, not of Christ who is under suffering, but of that fire which they, going from the gift, have kindled: And that in hearers, which is gone from the meek suffering state, into the worldly wisdom, may be warmed with this fire, and speak highly of these labours, ["and thus the false Prophet in man may form likenesses & his coming may be with Signs and Wonders and lying Miracles; but the Sorcerers, however powerfulthey remain without in Company with the Idolaters and Adulterers."] That which is of God gathers to God; and that which is of the world is owned by the world.

In this journey a labour hath attended my mind, that the ministers amongst us may be preserved in the meek feeling life of Truth, where we have no desire but to follow Christ and be with him; that when he is under suffering we may suffer with him; and never desire to rise up in dominion, but as he by the virtue of his own Spirit may raise us.

END

CHAPTER XIII

1772

At this point ends the Journal proper of John Woolman. The following portion, usually given in previous editions as the concluding pages of the narrative, describing his illness and death, demands further explanation.

Thomas Priestman 69 and his wife, in whose house at York John Woolman died, together with William 68 and Esther Tuke,6a their intimate friends, were his constant attendants. As the former states in his own Journal, he and William Tuke "minuted down" all of the dying man's expressions, and kept a record of every occurrance during the thirteen days of his illness. Thomas Priestman's Journal and this record are still in existence, and through the courtesy of Malcolm Spence, the late owner of Almery Garth, the manuscripts have been placed at the editor's service in the form of photographic reproductions. These pages correspond exactly with the handwriting, undoubtedly that of William Tuke, in the last pages of Woolman's own English Journal, now at Swarthmore College. In sending to America the news of the illness and death of John Woolman, William Tuke used this narrative, and embodied it almost verbatim in letter form, adding besides much of interesting detail. All previous editions have this account attached to the concluding pages of the Journal in the original form of the memorandum at York, as it was written first by William Tuke, with various important omissions. It is felt that this letter, in its fuller form, will be welcomed by Woolman lovers, since only from it we learn valuable facts. The additions which were made by William Tuke in forwarding the letter with Woolman's effects, to his cousin Reuben Haines,51 in Philadelphia, as the dying man had desired, are indicated by square brackets. The only printed copy of the letter which has come under the notice of the present editor, is

separately published in John Comly's "Friends' Miscellany," Volume VIII.

The "Testimonies" to Woolman are taken from the Minute Books of the Meetings at York, England, and Burlington, New Jersey, respectively.

[DEAR FRIEND, REUBEN HAINES: 51

York, 26th, 10th mo. 1772.

It falls to my lot, in the fulfilling of the precious request of our beloved friend, John Woolman, hereby to inform thee that he departed this life at the house of our friend Thomas Priestman, in the suburbs of this city, the 7th day of the 10th mo. 1772, about the sixth hour in the morning, and was interred in Friends' burying-ground here, the 9th of the same, after a large and solid meeting held on the occasion in our great meeting house.]

He came to this city the 21st day of the ninth month, and second day of the week, and having been poorly in health for some time before; apprehended the like feverish disorder he usually had at this season of the year was coming upon him.

The Quarterly meeting of Ministers and Elders was held in the Evening of 3a day, and the sittings of the Quarterly meeting for Business & meetings for Worship on 4th & 5th days, all which he was enabled to attend, except the parting meeting for Worship.

He appeared in the Ministry greatly to the Comfort & Satisfaction of Friends; the Spring of the Gospel flowing through him with great purity & Sweetness. His last Testimony was in a Meeting for Discipline, on the Subject of the Slave Trade; remarking, that as Friends had been solicitous for, and obtain'd relief from many of their Sufferings, so he recommended this oppressed part of the Creation to their Notice, that they may, in an Individual Capacity, as way may open, remonstrate their hardships & Sufferings to those in Authority, especially the Legislative Power in this Kingdom. [I am persuaded that this his last public labour made a deep impression on many minds, and I wish the great sufferings he hath passed through on account of this oppressed and injured people, may deeply affect the minds of those in America, among whom he hath faithfully and painfully laboured, and of whom he said he was clear.]

His Illness growing upon him, some Spotts appeared upon his Face like the small Pox on 7th day, & the next day it appeared beyond a doubt that this was his disorder. As he had seldom eaten Flesh for some Time, and from the Symptoms at first, we entertained hopes he would have the disorder favourably; but a great quantity of Spotts began to appear the 3d & 4th days, so that he was pretty full, and though not so loaded as many, yet for the most part was greatly afflicted, but bore it with the utmost Meekness, Patience, Resignation and Christian Fortitude frequently uttering many comfortable & Instructive Expressions, some of which were minuted down or remembered.1 [Nothing was wanting that could be devised to make him easy, and to have restored him, had it been consistent with the Divine will.]

3

The Friend and his wife at whose house he was, as well as divers others of us, being nearly united to him in much tenderness of Affection and near Sympathy, and having the Opportunity of attending him, thought it a blessing to behold his exemplary conduct, which appeared throughout. My Wife and I were much with him, both of us seldom leaving him at once, either Day or Night, as it was his Request about a Week before his Death that she would not sleep out of the House until she saw an Alteration, which we freely complied with, and neither

of us lodged at Home from that time.

[In the beginning of his Illness he expressed a desire to see his Neighbour And shipmate, John Bispham,53 and an Opportunity offering of sending him Word, to his and our Satisfaction he came, about two days before his Decease, and stayed till after the Funeral.

It seemed according to natural probability, that the Malignancy of the Disorder was not so great but he might Survive it; however, the Danger lay in his Constitution being so enfeebled as not to be able to struggle through the putrid state of the latter part of the Disease: which appeared to be the Case: for about eight

In the margin of the York MS. is written, "He often said it was hid from him, whether he should recover ог not, & he was not desirous to know it, but from his own feeling of the disorder, and his feeble constitution, thought he should

not.

2 Thomas Priestman: see Biog. Note 69.

3 Esther Tuke.