Mission with Prophetic Power: The Journal of John Woolman (SRSC 12)

Chapter 2: Learning to Speak (1743–1756)

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Marriage to Sarah and Death of Father (1749–1750) About this time, believing it good for me to settle, and thinking seriously about a companion, my heart was turned to the Lord with desires that He would give me wisdom to proceed therein agreeably to His will, and He was pleased to give me a well-inclined damsel, Sarah Ellis, to whom I was married the eighteenth of Eighth Month, 1749. In the fall of the year 1750 died my father, Samuel Woolman, of a fever, aged about sixty years. In his lifetime he manifested much care for us his children, that in our youth we might learn to fear the Lord, and often endeavored to imprint in our minds the true principles* of virtue, and particularly to cherish in us a spirit of tenderness, not only toward poor people, but also toward all creatures of which we had the command. After my return from Carolina in 1746, I made some observations on keeping slaves which some time before his decease I showed to him; he perused the manuscript, proposed a few alterations, and appeared well satisfied that I found a concern* on that account. In his last sickness, as I was watching with him one night, he being so far spent that there was no expectation of his recovery, though he had the perfect use of his understanding, he asked me concerning the manuscript, and whether I expected soon to proceed to take the advice of Friends in publishing it. After some further conversation thereon, he said, “I have all along been deeply affected with the oppression of the poor Black people;* and now, at last, my concern* for them is as great as ever.” By his direction I had written his will in a time of health, and that night he desired me to read it to him, which I did; and he said it was agreeable to his mind. He then made mention of his end, which he believed was near; and signified that,