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

Chapter 3: The Ministry of Visitation in Meetings (1757–1759)

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met once and adjourned, and I, going to Philadelphia to meet a committee of the Yearly Meeting, was in town the evening on which the Quarterly Meeting’s committee met the second time, and finding an inclination to sit with them, I with some others was admitted, and Friends had a weighty conference on the subject. Soon after their next Quarterly Meeting I heard that the case was coming to our Yearly Meeting. This brought a weighty exercise* upon me, and under a sense of my own infirmities, and the great danger I felt of turning aside from perfect purity, my mind was often drawn to retire alone, and put up my prayers to the Lord that He would be graciously pleased to strengthen me; that, setting aside all views of self-interest and the friendship of this world, I might stand fully resigned to His holy will. In this Yearly Meeting several weighty matters were considered, and toward the last that in relation to dealing with persons who purchase slaves. During the several sittings of the said meeting, my mind was frequently covered with inward prayer, and I could say with David, “My tears have been my food day and night” (Ps 42:3). The case of slave-keeping lay heavy upon me, nor did I find any engagement to speak directly to any other matter before the meeting. Now when this case was opened several faithful Friends spoke weightily thereto, with which I was comforted; and feeling a concern* to cast in my mite, I said in substance as follows: In the difficulties attending us in this life nothing is more precious than the mind of truth* inwardly manifested; and it is my earnest desire that in this weighty matter we may be so truly humbled as to be favored with a clear understanding of the mind of