Book: The Journal
of John Woolman, as contained in The Harvard Classics, Volume 1, as part of
The Five Foot Shelf of Books, © P.F. Collier & Son 1909, 1937, and printed
in its 56th Printing by P.F. Collier & Son Corporation, New
York, 1965 (Pages 168-314).
Author: John
Woolman
Reading Completed:
20150830
Reaction:
This is one of the more difficult books I have read,
mainly due to its archaic forms of speech and grammar as well as many cultural
expressions and terms for which I have little point of reference. Nevertheless, I am very glad I have invested
the time to read it.
John Woolman lived for 52 years from 1720 A.D. to 1772
A.D. He was a merchant and tailor and a
traveling Quaker minister. His journal
is a chronicle of his life and experiences in that time and many of the
spiritual struggles with which he wrestled throughout his life. He was deeply devout and very humble. He continually strove throughout his life to
align Himself with the Divine perspective and to live in a manner pleasing to
God in keeping with Divine Love.
His conscience was heavily burdened by the issues of his
time. In these pre-Revolutionary War
years, he was against the paying of taxes since in his perspective they were
used to prosecute wars and perpetuate violence among men for the purposes of
earthly gain. He was very tender in his
spirit to the plight of all creatures whether it be the suffering of animals
during a storm at sea or for the young sailors exposed to danger and corruption
or for the slaves of the colonies.
John Woolman felt that a great deal of the suffering in
the world was generated by the unrighteous desires of men for gain. As a result, he commenced to live a very
plain life and focus his pursuit on the things of eternity rather than the
things of this life. He went so far as
to refuse to partake of goods or services rendered by slaves and to labor with many
tears and much gentleness with his fellow Quakers imploring them to free their
slaves and not be wrapped up in the pursuit of wealth and prosperity in this
world.
John Woolman traveled throughout the colonies ministering
in hundreds if not thousands of meetings.
He labored in the Quaker assemblies, among the Indians, and even died in
England of the smallpox while ministering there. Everywhere he went, he was an advocate for
the downtrodden and the poor. He was a
staunch abolitionist arguing for the freedom of slaves. He was concerned deeply with the welfare of
his church and its people, longing for them not to become too entangled with
the cares of this world. He had a
particular love for the young people of his society and references them
frequently in his journal. He was a faithful
minister who lived a life of tender submission to the Divine Will. He exhibited some eccentric behaviors, but
these could be readily attributed to his conscientious manner of living and his
focus on eternal rather than earthly things.
What impacted me most profoundly was the regular
wrestling in his heart and mind which he experienced as he submitted himself to
the leadings of the Holy Spirit and practiced the words of the Apostle Paul: “2
Corinthians 4:8 ¶ We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed,
but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life
also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are
alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might
be made manifest in our mortal flesh.” I
think Mr. Woolman would have identified very much with this spirit.
The wrestling of his mind and heart against the things of
the world and even just seeking to best know the mind of God in relation to his
circumstances really encourage me. If a
man so spiritual could wrestle to align his will with the will of the Master
and commit so carefully to follow His ways, then I too need not be afraid of
the wrestling of conscience. I can take
comfort when I walk through my struggles and battles to know John Woolman’s
testimony of the faithfulness of God amid it all. I can also rest assured that if I surrender
my will into alignment with the will of God, I will discover His ways are best
and will know the sweetness of fellowship with the Divine Creator Himself.
The quote that stood out most to me from the book was
this: "Does he condescend to bless thee with His presence? To move and
influence thee to action? To dwell and to walk in thee? Remember then thy
station as being sacred to God. Accept of the strength freely offered to thee,
and take heed that no weakness in conforming to unwise, expensive, and hard
hearted customs, gendering to discord and strife, be given way to. Does he
claim my body as his temple, and graciously require that I may be sacred to
him? Oh that I may prize this favor, and that my whole life maybe conformable
to this character! Remember, O my soul! that the Prince of Peace is thy Lord;
that he communicates his unmixed wisdom to his family, that they, living in
perfect simplicity, may give no just cause of offence to any creature, but that
they may walk as he walked!" This
quote, in many ways encapsulated John Woolman’s life.
Oh that I too may walk with tenderness of conscience, and
humility of spirit, ever surrendered to the Divine Will focusing on that which
is eternal rather than the temporal as he did.
