John Woolman Journal Chapter Eight Paragraph One

Summary, Observations, and Considerations Chapter 8 Paragraph One

Having felt my mind drawn toward a Visit to a few meetings in Pennsylvania, I was very desirous to be instructed Rightly as to the time of seting of, and on the 10. 5. 1761, being the first day of the week I went to Haddonfield Meeting. Concluding [in my mind] to Seek for heavenly instruction, and come home or go on as I might then believe best for me; and there through the Springing up of pure love I felt encouragement and so crossed the River. In this visit I was at two Quarterly and three monthly meetings, and in the love of Truth, felt my way open to Labour with some noted Friends who kept Negroes, and as I was favoured to keep the Root, and Endeavoured to discharge what I believed was Required of me, I found inward peace therein from time to time, and thankfulness of heart to the Lord, who was graciously pleased to guide me.
Source: https://johnwoolman.blogspot.com/p/john-woolman-journal-chapter-eight.html

In this paragraph Woolman's mind is drawn to visit some Meetings. He determines to first seek heavenly instruction about when to make the journey by going to a Meeting. There, through the Springing up of pure love, he was encourage to begin immediately. During the journey it happened that in the love of truth he felt my way open to Labour with some noted Friends and, in doing so, he was able to keep to the Root and discharged what was required him. This manifested an inward peace ... from time to time and thankfulness to the Lord for guidance.

This paragraph contains various terms and phrases which suggests a way a relating to people and circumstances through an impulse or force that is not of the nature of reason or reflective thought. Woolman says his mind was drawn or pulled toward a certain activity and that he sought heavenly instruction manifesting as the Springing up of pure love which was an affirmation or encouragement to proceed on his journey immediately. It was the impulse of the springing up of pure love itself that was the basis of his decision to go forward on his journey. There is no indication here that his decision was based upon engagement in the process of reflective thought. That is, his testimony here suggests he did not reason to his decision. The motion or experience of the springing up or explosion or increase of pure love was the basis of his decision. To bring this home further, His testimony suggests his behavior is being guided by the experience of pure love and an increase in the intensity of the experience of pure love affirms a particular activity or direction. Woolman goes on to write that, while in the love of Truth, he felt my way open to Labour with some people. Johnson's Dictionary printed in 1792, 10th edition, defines:

to Labour

1. To toil; to act with painful effort.
2. To do work; to take pains.
3. To move with difficulty.
4. To be diseased with.
5. To be in distress; to be pressed.
6. To be in child-birth. to be in travail.

Woolman's use of the phrase to Labour suggests an entering into contention. He writes that in the love of Truth he felt open to labour or contend with other people.

Being in the love of Truth suggests something akin to being in the presence of the Lord which further suggests he became sensible or aware (open) that while labouring with other people, he experienced or remained in the presence of Lord; that he kept to the Root. This becoming aware of being kept to the Root cleared the way for him to contend or enter into reflective thought with other people. This suggests the basis of his Labouring with people was predicated on his being aware of the presence of the Lord in the activity Labouring. The process of reflecting on and with others was affirmed precisely because he was aware of the presence of the Lord.

Woolman suggests he knew a way of being and relating to people that was not of the nature of reflective thought and also that the aperture for engaging in the process of reflecting upon and with others is an awareness of the of its movement through increased illumination of the presence of the Lord. Each of the keywords in this paragraph presume the direct impulse or awareness of the presence of the Lord guiding particular actions by a heightened experience or springing up of Presence itself.

Keywords and Phrases

felt my mind drawn
instructed rightly
heavenly instruction
springing up of pure love
felt encouragement
in the love of truth
felt my way open to labour
keep to the root
inward peace
guide

Something to consider moving forward. On three occasions in this paragraph Woolman uses the term felt in relation to some activity. The term felt suggests sensation rather then reason. That is, he became sensible or aware of an action upon him which influences his activty. He uses the term believed once. Believed suggests reason in the sense of his participation in the process rather than something acting upon him. I am curious whether this distinction manifests in other contexts in his Journal and whether something of significance can be gleaned.