[THE GOOD FEELINGS I EXPERIENCED!]

A Sermon Delivered by JACOB RITTER, Date and Place Unknown.
Foulke, Joseph, ed. Memoirs of Jacob Ritter, A Faithful Minister of the Gospel. Philadelphia: T. E. Chapman & E. Weaver; New York: Baker & Crane, 1844, pages 46-48.

This is The Quaker Homiletics Online Anthology, Section Three: The 19th Century.

Since I have been sitting amongst you this morning, dear friends, I have remembered something that I don't know I have thought of for about seventy years. When I was a little boy about ten years old, I used to like to go to meetings sometimes. One first-day morning, I asked my father if I might not go with some of my comrades, neighboring boys, to Quaker meeting. He said, "for what would you go to their meeting? - they don't have any preaching, they just sit still."

But still I wished to go; "well," said he, "go; but mind and behave yourself." So I set off, and walked about five miles barefoot: when I came to the meeting, it was late; all the people were in. I went in, and sat down behind the door. I looked round; the people appeared so serious and solemn, that it brought good feeling to my mind, though there was not preaching. Oh! the good feelings I experienced! so that when meeting broke up, I felt as if I could sit still an hour longer.

If the children, -- the dear children, would but be still and try to wait on the Lord in the truth, he would in mercy draw near to them; for he loves little children, and sometimes graciously visits, them, I believe, at a very early age. When I came home, my father said, "well, did the Quakers preach?" I said, "no, but there are good feelings amongst them that are better than preaching; we have no such feelings in our meetings."