John Woolman's Journal

he Difficulties and Hardships the common Sailors are exposed to-Considerations on the Dangers to which Youth are exposed, in being trained to a sea-faring Li

ting at Burlington, of it; who, having Unity with me therein, gave me a Certificate; and I afterward communicated the same to our Quarterly-meeting, and they likewise certified their Concurrence therewith. Some Time after which, at the general Spring-meeting of Mi

d to Liverpool or Whitehaven: And, while I was at Philadelphia, deliberating on this Occasion, I was informed, that my beloved Friend, Samuel Emlen, jun., intending to go to London, and having taken a Passage for himself in the Cabbin of a Ship, called

eerage; and he, offering to go with me, we went on board, first in the Cabbin, a commodious Room, and then into the Steer

ly Counsellor; and I feeling, at this Time, my ow

o leave the Ship, and made no Agreement as to a Passage in her; but told the Owner, if I took a Passage

ight, and his Love strengthened my Heart. In the Morning I went with two Friends on board the Vessel again; and, after a short Time spent therein, I went, with Sam

e, and next Day Home; where I tarried two Nights; and then, early in the Morning, I parted with my Family, under a Sense of the humbling Hand of God upon me; and going to Philadelphia

ich I was helped to labour in some Tenderness of Spirit. Then, lodging at William Horne's, I, with one Friend, went to Chester; where, meeting with Samuel Emlen, we went on board, the first Day

John Till-Adams, Sarah Logan and her hired Maid, and John Bispham, were all sea-sick, more or less, at Times; from which S

the Ship and of the Cabbin-Passengers toward me: We wer

d in a good Degree, watchful and inward; and I have, this Day, gre

regard to placing our Children and Youth where they may be likely to be exampled and instructed in the pure Fear of the Lord; and I, being much amongst the Seamen, have, from a Motion of Love, sundry Times taken Opportunities

ll of our heavenly Father; and to educate some Youth in the Practice of sailing, I believe, may be right: But how lamentable is the present Corruption of the World! how impu

ho was meek and low of Heart! Then, in faithfully following him, he will teach us to be

hose in the lowest Stations may be assisted and encouraged; and, where Owners of Ships attain

ght, to help manage the Ship in the Rain, and, having small Room to sleep and lay their Garments in, are often beset to furnish themselves for the Watch, their Garments or something relating to their Business

ge of Garment is not easily come at, but for Want of proper Room, their wet Garments are thrown in Heaps, and sometimes, through much crouding, are trodden under

ve of God, and therein act uprightly; and, by seeking less for Gain, and looking carefully to their Ways, may earnestly labour to remove all Cause of Provocation from the poor Seamen

sity of it, amongst these who do Business on great Water

oon increased to that Degree that Sailing appeared dangerous. The Seamen then bound up some of their Sails, and took down s

e Cabbin, in which I spent, I believe, about seventeen Hours; for I believed the poor wet toiling Seamen ha

g, and put the Vessel in th

es, in regard to the All-sufficiency of him who formed the great Deep, and whose Care is so extensive, that a Sparrow falls not without his Notice; and thus, in a tender Frame of

exceedingly, and the high-foaming Waves, all round about, had in so

, said he lately saw a Corpo

ep on the Deck; and, though he said little, I apprehended his Care was, that

he Wind abated; and, before Morning

Weather, we had a Meeting in the Cabbin, at which most of the S

State of my Mind, in Respect to poor Lads bound Apprentice to learn the Art of Sailing. As I believe Sailing is of some Use in the World, a

e, whose common Course of Life is manifestly corrupt and prophane; so great is the present Defect amongst Seafaring Men, in regard to Piety and Virtue: And, thr

ersation with the Sailors in the Steerage, who were mostly respectful to me, and more and more so the longer I was with them: They mostly appeared to take kindly what I said to them; but their Minds have appeared to be so deeply impressed with that al

ng Call to the professed Followers of Christ hath been raised in me, that all may take Heed, lest, through loving th

us, has now appeared necessary: He alone is able to strengthen us to dig deep, to remove all which lies between us and the

ly opened toward a young Generation, is made sensible of corrupting Examples, powe

e; and Resignedness to the great Creator of the Earth and Seas, renewedly wrought in me; whose fatherly Care over his Children felt precious to my Soul: And Desires were now renewed in me, to embrace every Opportunity of being inwardly acquainted with the Hardships and Difficulties of my Fellow-creatures, and to labour in his Love for the spreading of pure universal Righteousness on the Earth. The Op

eeting in the Cabbin; to which the Seamen generally came. My Spirit wa

mble Obedience wherein the everlasting Father may be their Guide and Support, through all the Difficulties in this World; and a Sense of that gracious Assistance, throu

ning: And, as I sat on Deck, I felt a Reviving in my Nature; which, through much r

got up, and stood, I believe, near an Hour, with my Face near the Hatchway, to get the fresh Air at the small Vacancy under the Hatch

ffliction with Patience; and have looked at the present Dispensation as a Kindness from the great Father of Mankind, who, in this my floa

res have attended me, that his Family, who are acquainted with the Movings of his holy Spirit, may be so redeemed from the Love of Money, and from that Spirit in which Men seek Honour one of another, that in all Business, by S

the fulfilling of that Saying of the Prophet, "The Lord hath been a Strength to the Poor, a St

s inclining to Calms: Our Seamen have cast a Lead, I suppose about

t; and a Degree of Exercise, from Day to Day, attends me, that the pure

eavenly Counsellor, may example them in the Truth, as it is in Jesus;-this, for several Days, hath been the Exercise of my Mind. O! how safe, how quiet,

are bound, in the Bonds of pure Love, to stand still and wait upon him. In the Love of Money, and in the Wisdom of this World, Business is

ose Prospects of Gain, which, in the Wisdom of this World, are open before us, but say, in our Hearts, I must needs go on, and, in going on, I hope to keep as near

re all their Wants are bounded by his Wisdom; and here we experience the Substance of wh

e had been no Yoke, was to be slain, and her Blood sprinkled by the Priest seven Times toward the Tabernacle of the Congregation; then her Skin, her Flesh, and all pertaining to her, were to be b

not himself with the Water of Separation, he defileth t

who are dead; if these, through the infinite Love of God feel the Power of the Cross of Christ to crucify them to the World, an

ration; are brought off from that Business, from that Gain, and from that Fellowship, which was not agreeable to his holy Will: And I have felt a renewed Confirmation, in the Time of this Voyage, that the Lord, in his i

at in this Figure, Man must

spoken by the Almighty to Moses the Pro

re the Pure in Heart; for they shall see God." In Purity of Heart the Mind is divinely opened to behold the Nature of universal Right

s an Obstruction against the Clearness of divine Light operating in us; but when we love God with all our Heart, and with all our Strength, then in this Love, we love our Neighbours as ourselves; and a Tenderness of Hea

s is manifested in a full Reformation of our Lives, wherein all Things are new,

LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." Jerem. xxiii. 6. O! how precious is this Name! it is like Ointment poured out. The chaste Virgins are in Love with the Redeemer; and, for the promoting his peaceable Kingdom in the World, are content to

n the Cabbin, with near all the Ship's Company; the Whole being near thirty. In

h. Last Evening the Seamen found

Prospect of that Work, to which I have felt my Mind drawn when in my native Land, being in some Degree opened before me, I felt like a little Child: and my Cries were

w that Part of Engla

reaking over the Quarter-deck; and a considerable Number with Sickness, at different Times. I observed the Cocks crew, coming down the Delaware, and whil

that of caring for the Sparrows; and believe, where the Love of God is verily perfected, and the true Spirit of Government watchfully attended to, a Tenderness toward all Creatures made

Dover; where my beloved Friend, Samuel Emlen, went on Shore,

hey may come to experience Salvation through Christ. We had a Head-Wind up the Thames; lay sometimes at Anchor; saw many Ships passing, and some at Anchor near; and had large Opportunity of feeling the Spirit in which