On the with the feelings of Friendship & good will to wards her & her Household
Up to this period I have spent my life a little like a ship tosted upon the waves of the sea up & dow^n^ unstable
& unsettelled in my mind, at times triying to worship the Lord & living thate life of a christian & then at other times
giving it up & trying to take pleasure in the the things of the world, but in the midst of it all there seemed to
be an unseen hand guiding my destiny. I had now arived at 23 years of age and I sensibly realized &
deeply Felt that my youth had gone to return no more forever to me, and I felt that I had spent a good deal
of my time in a manner that was not profitable to me not that I had been guilty of committing any Heinous
or outbreaking sins such as Murder, theft, Adultary, Fornications or Blasphamies, yet I hagd a good deal
of my youth in vanity & folly giving way at times to many idle words and vain and foolish recreations
which did not store the mind with knowledge or produce any profitable fruit. At this time I reflected
deeply upon the past & I became thoroughly convinced that there was no real peace or Enjoyment in any
thing except in the servitce of God or in those things which the Lord would Approbate. And I came to a
determined firm resolution in my own mind that from this time henceforth & forever I would seek
the Lord with all my heart, I would seek to know his will by faith, Prayer, & the reading of the word of God, and I was determined to follow the dictation of the Holy spirit and do the will of God as
far as I could learn it. I brought before my mind in my meditation all the honor, glory & happiness of
the whole world as far as I could grasp in my imagination I placed before my mind the gold & wealth
of the miser. The glory grandure & power of Monarchs, kings, Princes Presidents & Rulers. The military
Renown of AllexanderNapoleon & other Military Generals. I cast my mind through the innumerable paths
through which the giddy world travel in search of pleasure happiness, & Joy, and in suming the whole matter
up in the vision of my mind I had to exclaim with Solomon that it was all "vanity of vanities, or all is vanity
saith the preacher" I could see that it would all find one common grave in a few short days and I was
thoroughly convinced that no man could enjoy true happiness & peace & obtain that which would feed
the immortal mind. Except God was his friend, and Jesus Christ his Advocate, & he done their will & kept
their commands. Upon this ground I felt determined to stand & spend my future life.
I made an ingagement with Mr Samuel Collins of Collinsville Cdt (the manufactrurer of the Collinses
axes) to attend his Flouring Mill I commenced work for Mr Samuel Collins on the . I commenced boarding with a company of about 30 men, mostly young men but they
being of a vain worldly turn of mind I did not enjoy myself in their company and I change my
boarding place took up my residence in a private family by the name of Dudly D. Sacket.
About this time a Reformation broke out in Farmington Connecticut mostly conducted by
the Methodist denomination My younger brother Asahel H. Woodruff made a profession
of Religion and seemed to be vary much ingaged in the cause which was a great consolation
to me I attended there meetings and felt to regoicede to see my brother so much ingaged in
trying to serve the Lord & acting up to the best light he had. I had a great Desire to do the
will of God & to know what to do to be saved I prayed night & day as I had an oppertunity
& the Lord Blessed me with much of his Holy Spirit and I was happy, all things to me seemed
to praise the Lord the soon [sun], Moon & stars, sky, air land and water, Montains Hills rocks & Dales, forests
groves meadows & grain all things seemed to praise the Lord. it began to me to be the Hapiest period of
my life. I had often herd those feelings expressed by individuals but to me it was a blind story untill
now. My Feelings brought plainly to my mind the words of the SlPsalmest David whare he plainly expresses
On the with the feelings of Friendship & good will to wards her & her Household
Up to this period I have spent my life a little like a ship tosted upon the waves of the sea up & down unstable
& unsettelled in my mind, at times trying to worship the Lord & living the life of a christian & then at other times
giving it up & trying to take pleasure in the the things of the world, but in the midst of it all there seemed to
be an unseen hand guiding my destiny. I had now arived at 23 years of age and I sensibly realized &
deeply Felt that my youth had gone to return no more forever to me, and I felt that I had spent a good deal
of my time in a manner that was not profitable to me not that I had been guilty of committing any Heinous
or outbreaking sins such as Murder, theft, Adultary, Fornications or Blasphamies, yet I had a good deal
of my youth in vanity & folly giving way at times to many idle words and vain and foolish recreations
which did not store the mind with knowledge or produce any profitable fruit. At this time I reflected
deeply upon the past & I became thoroughly convinced that there was no real peace or Enjoyment in any
thing except in the service of God or in those things which the Lord would Approbate. And I came to a
determined firm resolution in my own mind that from this time henceforth & forever I would seek
the Lord with all my heart, I would seek to know his will by faith, Prayer, & the reading of the
word of God, and I was determined to follow the dictation of the Holy spirit and do the will of God as
far as I could learn it. I brought before my mind in my meditation all the honor, glory & happiness of
the whole world as far as I could grasp in my imagination I placed before my mind the gold & wealth
of the miser. The glory grandure & power of Monarchs, kings, Princes Presidents & Rulers. The military
Renown of AllexanderNapoleon & other Military Generals. I cast my mind through the innumerable paths
through which the giddy world travel in search of pleasure happiness, & Joy, and in suming the whole matter
up in the vision of my mind I had to exclaim with Solomon that it was all "vanity of vanities, or all is vanity
saith the preacher" I could see that it would all find one common grave in a few short days and I was
thoroughly convinced that no man could enjoy true happiness & peace & obtain that which would feed
the immortal mind. Except God was his friend, and Jesus Christ his Advocate, & he done their will & kept
their commands. Upon this ground I felt determined to stand & spend my future life.
I made an ingagement with Mr Samuel Collins of Collinsville Ct (the manufacturer of the Collinses
axes) to attend his Flouring Mill I commenced work for Mr Samuel Collins on the . I commenced boarding with a company of about 30 men, mostly young men but they
being of a vain worldly turn of mind I did not enjoy myself in their company and I change my
boarding place took up my residence in a private family by the name of Dudly D. Sacket.
About this time a Reformation broke out in Farmington Connecticut mostly conducted by
the Methodist denomination My younger brother Asahel H. Woodruff made a profession
of Religion and seemed to be vary much ingaged in the cause which was a great consolation
to me I attended there meetings and felt to regoice to see my brother so much ingaged in
trying to serve the Lord & acting up to the best light he had. I had a great Desire to do the
will of God & to know what to do to be saved I prayed night & day as I had an oppertunity
& the Lord Blessed me with much of his Holy Spirit and I was happy, all things to me seemed
to praise the Lord the soon sun, Moon & stars, sky, air land and water, Montains Hills rocks & Dales, forests
groves meadows & grain all things seemed to praise the Lord. it began to me to be the Hapiest period of
my life. I had often herd those feelings expressed by individuals but to me it was a blind story untill
now. My Feelings brought plainly to my mind the words of thePsalmest David whare he plainly expresses
