a great additional obligation, unceasingly to exert themselves, by every legitimate means, to promote the total and immediate extinction of this crying evil. In the year 1758, J. W. thus addressed the yearly meeting of Philadelphia: "Many slaves on this continent are oppressed, and their cries have reached the ear of the Most High." Such are the purity and certainty of his judgments, that He cannot be partial in our favor. In infinite love and goodness he hath opened our understandings from one time to another, concerning our duty towards this people, and it is not a time for delay. Should we now be made sensible of what he requires of us, and through respect to the private interests of some persons, or through regard to some friendships. which do not stand on an immutable foundation, neglect to do our duty in firmness and constancy, still waiting for some extraordinary means for their deliverance; it may be by terrible things in righteousness,' God will answer us in this matter. May the perusal of a life of so much holiness, and of benevolence so untiring, impress us deeply as to what the Gospel requires of its professors; and may this great truth be borne in mind, that the character of John Woolman, in as far as it was lovely and excellent, was but an exemplification of the power of the Grace of Christ to change the heart of man; and that his tender sympathy with the afflicted and oppressed, his unsparing self-denial, and deep sense of the purity of the true Christian character, as well as his continued efforts to extend the mild and peaceable Kingdom of the Redeemer, were genuine fruits of faith in that Saviour, "whose name," he says, "to me was precious." And such fruits must be considered as better evidence than mere words could give, however correctly framed, of the obedience of Faith, of that Faith which worketh by Love to the purifying of the heart; producing righteousness and true holiness, to the praise of God, and the good of our fellow crea tures. In preparing this valuable work for a more extensive circulation, it has been found necessary to correct many grammatical inaccuracies, and occasionally to omit redundant words, and repetitions of the same sentiments; also to transpose sentences, in which the author's meaning was obscured by the want of a more simple and perspicuous arrangement. But in making these corrections, the greatest care has been taken to preserve the sense of the author entire. Fe arnhead, 11th mo. 1840. CONTENTS. Page. J. W's. birth and parentage.-Some account of the operations of Di- vine grace on his mind in his youth.-His first appearance in the ministry-and his considerations while young on the keeping of His first journey on a religious visit, into East Jersey.-Thoughts on merchandizing, and learning a trade. Second journey into Pennsyl- vania, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina-Third journey through part of West and East Jersey.-Fourth journey through New York and Long Island, to New England.-Fifth journey, to the East- His Marriage. The death of his father.-His journeys into the upper part of New Jersey, and afterwards into Pennsylvania.-Considera- tions on keeping slaves, and visits to the families of friends at sev- eral times and places.-An epistle from the general meeting.-His journey to Long Island. Considerations on trading, and on the use of spirituous liquors and costly apparel. Letter to a friend Visit to the families of friends at Burlington.-Journey to Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.-Considerations on the state of friends there; and the exercise he was under in travelling among those so generally concerned in keeping slaves; with some observations on this subject.-Epistle to friends at New Garden and Cane Creek. Thoughts on the neglect of a religious care in the Considerations on the payment of a tax, laid for carrying on the war against the Indians.-Meetings of the committee of the yearly meeting at Philadelphia.-Some notes on Thomas a Kempis, and John Huss. The present circumstances of friends in Pennsylvania and New Jersey very different from those of our predecessors.—The 43 Page. draughting of the militia in New Jersey to serve in the army; with some observations on the state of the members of our society at that time.-Visit to friends in Pennsylvania, accompanied by Benjamin Jones.-Proceedings at the monthly, quarterly, and yearly meetings in Philadelphia, respecting those who keep slaves CHAPTER VI. Visit to the quarterly meetings in Chester county.-Joins Daniel Stanton and John Scarborough, in a visit to such as kept slaves there.-Some observations on the conduct which those should maintain who speak in meetings for discipline.-More visits to such as kept slaves. and to friends near Salem.-Account of the yearly meeting in the year 1759.-and of the increasing concern in divers provinces, to labor against buying and keeping slaves.-The yearly meeting epistle.Thoughts on the small-pox spreading, and on inoculation CHAPTER VII. Visit, in company with Samuel Eastburn, to Long Island, Rhode Island, Boston, &c.-Remarks on the slave trade at Newport; also on lotteries. Some observations on the island of Nantucket CHAPTER VIII. Visits Pennsylvania, Shrewsbury, and Squan.-Publishes the second part of his Considerations on keeping negroes.-The grounds of his appearing in some respects singular in his dress.-Visit to the families of friends of Ancocas and Mount Holly meetings. Visits to the Indians at Wehaloosing on the river Susqehannah CHAPTER IX. Religious conversation with a company met to see the tricks of a juggler.-Account of John Smith's advice, and of the proceedings of a committee, at the yearly meeting in 1764.-Contemplations on the nature of true wisdom.-Visit to the families of friends at Mount Holly, Mansfield, and Burlington, and to the meetings on the sea coast from Cape May towards Squan.-Some account of Joseph Nichols and his followers.-On the different state of the first settlers in Pennsylvania who depended on their own labor, compared with those of the southern provinces who kept negroes.-Visit to the Northern parts of New Jersey, and the Western parts of Maryland and Pennsylvania, also to the families of friends at Mount Holly and several parts of Maryland. Further considerations on keeping slaves; and his concern for having been a party to the sale of one. Thoughts on friends exercising offices in civil government CHAPTER X. Bodily indisposition.-Exercise of his mind for the good of the people in the West Indies.-Communicates to friends his concern to visit some of those islands.-Preparations to embark.-Considerations 61 71 . 83 95 117 Page. on the trade to the West Indies.-Release from his concern and return home.-Religious engagements. -Sickness and exercise of his mind there CHAPTER XI. Embarks at Chester, with Samuel Emlen, in a ship bound for London.Exercise of mind respecting the hardships of the sailors —Considerations on the dangers of training youth to a seafaring life.-Thoughts during a storm at sea.-Arrival in London CHAPTER XII. Attends the yearly meeting in London.-Then proceeds towards Yorkshire.-Visits quarterly and other meetings in the counties of Hertford, Warwick, Oxford, Nottingham, York and Westmoreland.Returns to Yorkshire.-Instructive observations and letters.-Hears of the decease of William Hunt.-Some account of him.—The author's last illness and death at York 129 136 149 Testimony of Friends in Yorkshire concerning John Woolman Considerations on the keeping of negroes-Part the first. Considerations on Pure Wisdom, and Human Policy; on Labor, on Schools, &c. 165 168 172 179 194 222 Considerations on the True Harmony of Mankind, &c. Chapter I. 236 Ditto, Chapter II. On the Example of Christ. 213 Ditto, Chapter III. On Merchandizing. 246 Ditto, Chapter IV. On Divine Admonitions. 253 Remarks on Sundry Subjects. Chap. I. On Loving our neighbor. 256 269 An Epistle to the Quarterly and Monthly Meetings of Friends. 271 285 A Tribute to the Memory of John Woolman, by Bernard Barton. 307. |