Silas Downing letter to Thomas Rotch, Nine Partners 11th of 10th mo 1808

              B-51-6
Page 1

                                   Nine partners 11th of 10th mo 1808
    It would have been very agreeable to have had your company my beloved friends at the last mo meetg in this place, that you might have been witnesses of what passed among us, thou I believe my dear Sister could not have endured the fatigue of the mg through it, held about 6 hours, as I am informed the meeting generally have through the visit of the Committee, with a few exceptions I attended that at the Creek, which was very wearing, being near night when it ended, I hope, or desire the visti may prove truly useful to many, but have my fears, and doubts, as ntohing short of the voice of the son of the highest giveth life, and those who hear this living sound in the in most of the mind and wisely attend thereto will expereince the spring of life opened in them to their unspeakable comfort, and these will know the Lord Jesus Christ to be the resurrection and the life, hence an engagement is felt to stand for the noble cause in innocent boldness, and humble confidence in the Arm that is strong and able to sustain all whose trust is therein, but what shall we ay when the professors of the hold truth, turn from the Royal standard and enlist in the service that in its nature obstructs the progress of the hold seed, and thus become formed, dry and lifeless professors of the faith in the heavenly principle of ever lasting love, I often feel very low and destitute of that help and strength which is desirable, and much so, since being left alone, here without my dear wife adn daughter, who are gone on a visit to our Children, but I look for thier return the last of the present week, how gladly would I see you here if it was right to be so, for truly this is a place, a Meeting of much trial and exercise, a very great want of spiritually exercised members