A Sermon Delivered by ELIAS HICKS, Followed With Responses by JERUSHA CURTIS and PHILADELPHIA PEMBERTON, A Response to them by ELIAS HICKS, A Sermon by OTHNIEL ALSOP, and a Another Sermon by ELIAS HICKS.
The Quaker, Vol. I, No. 5, 1827, pages 105-143.
This is The Quaker Homiletics Online Anthology, Part 3: The 19th Century.
But this is not enough, my friends,--we must endeavour to have our minds still. And here is a
much greater work, which it is beyond the power of man to effect of himself. And this shows us
the necessity of individually endeavouring to get our bodies still, that so we may retire to that
fountain of strength, which only can enable us to experience our minds to be brought into
stillness--into silent prostration before the King of heaven. And we are not to stop here neither,
my friends. There is that "little member," that no man," the apostle says, "has tamed;" although
men may have tamed all the brute creation--and that is the tongue. It is a little member; but, as he
says, "it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." It is like a fire, "and it is set on fire of hell." Now
there is nothing that can enable us to keep this quiet and silent, but as we bow in perfect
submission to the divine will, to time manifestation of the grace of God in our own souls; and
without this, we cannot use it in a proper manner. "Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and
therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God." And we know, that it does
happen among the children of men, that they usurp, as it were, the throne of God, and impeach
their fellow Creatures and give sentence upon them; and, as far as the tongue can do it, send them
down to the bottomless pit of perdition. "My brethren, these things ought not so to be." And it is
an evidence to us what state we must come to experience, before we can effect the great purpose
for which we are assembled together this morning; which is no less, I apprehend, as to time
general motive, than to present ourselves before time Almighty Creator of the universe, the giver
of every good and perfect gift, and to wait on him, and worship him in spirit and in truth.
But none can worship him, till all these unruly passions, all these disturbances and troubles, that
naturally attend men and women in their natural state, are all brought down into entire subjection
to the divine will, and until there is a complete sense of his greatness, and of our nothingness.
Here it is, that we are brought into a condition to learn of him. For what will it avail any of us, to
come and sit down thus together, to be led, and guided, and instructed in the way of salvation, if
we do not gather into a state, whereby and wherein we calm be instructed--into a situation in
which we can hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches? And it is my earnest desire, that we
may individually labour after this stillness; for this is the travail that ought always to attend our
minds when thus assembled together. This leads to an experience and evidence in ourselves, of the
mighty power of God, and of our own complete insufficiency to do any good thing. For we must
come to this evidence before we can serve him aright; and before we can walk in the way which
he has cast up for the ransomed and redeemed to walk in--a blessed way. We must come into this
condition, in order to learn our duty, not only to God our creator, but to man our fellow creature.
This will open to us all that we are to do, and instruct us in the way in which we can answer the
great end of our creation, and we shall always be ready to glorify God and enjoy him.
Hence, we see, as reasonable creatures, that every act of our lives must be to this effect; and every
word that we speak ought to have this tendency: we ought to have our words savory, so as to
minister grace to the hearers, and timer even in our language and converse with one another. That
it may all tend to the glory and honour of time great and adorable I AM, from whom we receive
all our power and ability to do any thing, and every blessing which we can have or receive. How
awful the consideration, that not only in every word, but in every act, whether we meet together
as at present, or whether in eating, drinking, or putting on apparel, it is all to be done to the glory
of God. Mind it, my friends, and my dear young friends!
And what way is there for us to do it, so as to give glory to his great name? There is but one way,
and that is to seek unto him for knowledge and instruction, and how to act in small matters as
well as in greater; because nothing will bring glory to his name, unless we do it agreeably to his
holy will and pleasure. No matter how small the thing is, if it be contrary to the divine will, it is a
sin against heaven. We must not plead and reason as finite creatures, as we are, against it; nor
shall we, when we have the fear of God in our hearts. We have no right to reason upon
consequences, let what will follow: but become wholly passive to the divine light and leaven of
the kingdom of heaven in our own souls, otherwise we cannot be leavened into his nature. But as
there is a coming in aud under his influence; and as we begin to partake of his divine nature, we
can commune. with the Almighty God of our lives, and God of our salvation. For nothing but the
spirit of God can teach us the things of 6nd. So that it is of infinite importance, that we examine
every word, every thought, and every action, as in the presence of the Most High, as we certainly
are, continually. For he is every where present, and in him we live, move, and have our being.
This is what some, of all nations, must know for themselves. For when the apostle was reasoning
with a wise people of former days, concerning their idolatry, he says--"As I passed by, and beheld
your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, "TO TH UNKNOWN GOD:" whom the
people of Athens ignorantly worshiped. Now, what sort of God was this, my friends ? It must
have been an imaginary one. They were worshiping something from mere report--it was an
unknown God. But this is not the case with the true worshipers of God; for those who worship
him in spirit and in truth, must know and feel him to be always present, a continual observer of all
their works; for he is a God of infinite knowledge, and by him all our actions are weighed. I want,
therefore, that our minds should become humbled, as being in his holy presence, and that his fear
may spread over every mind, from the love which we feel for him. For that fear that cometh from
terror hath torment, and it is not the true fear of God; therefore, it is a vain thing for men and
women to denounce one another, and to try to scare one another, for they are about as likely to
scare them into sin as any way. For every fear that comes from terror has torment in it: as all fear,
that does not arise from the true fear of God hath torment in it,--but the true fear of God is above
it all, and it is no slavish fear; for "perfect love casteth out all fear."
Now, by this consideration we may try ourselves; and it puts us into a capacity to take the
apostle's advice, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves: know ye
not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates ?''Here he came to
the point in his exhortation; and that which was right in that day, is just as right in the present day.
It is as necessary for us now, as it was for them then; and we must know a Saviour in us. For
what does he mean by Jesus Christ? Nothing but a savior, nothing but a redeemer, nothing but a
deliverer. Here now, can we find him any where else, according to the apostle's declaration? If we
have not his power and sufficiency in us--if he is not thus over every other power, we cannot be
otherwise than reprobates, for none other can change our fallen nature. And as this view of the
subject spreads great caution, so it sometimes, if we are willing-minded, spreads great
encouragement. For the apostle, no doubt, spoke from his own personal and absolute experience,
by which he came to know Christ thus to he in him, that is. when he says, Christ, a savior--the
wisdom of God and the power of God manifesting itself in the soul against sin. And under what
epithet shall we speak of it in the most ready way? We may call it light. We see what the great
apostle says, "Jesus Christ is in you;" and our eminent friend George Fox was led under the same
influence and inspiration that the apostle was when he uttered this declaration; he calls to the light
within, as the only source of all true knowledge of God, and from which we must draw all our
ability to worship in spirit and in truth.
"God is light;" and here it is that the light begins its work--"All things that are reproveable, are
made manifest by the light, for whatsoever maketh manifest is light." But without an every where
present God, nothing could do this for the children of men--reprove them for every thing they do
for every act, for every thought, and every word.
Now this is true, my friends, and I have confidence to believe it, from my own experience, that it
will convict for every idle thought and word; and that, for every idle word we shall have to give
an account in the day of judgment. And when is the day of judgment? When man is brought under
the revelation of the divine law, when he knows what the law of God is. Here, now, the judge is
always sitting upon the judgment seat. It is not a day and time, as some have vainly, ignorantly,
aud carnally supposed, at a great distance from us; at what they call the end of the world.
Here now, how some express their darkness; and how they reflect upon the Almighty goodness,
to suppose that he is with us, and yet that he will let us go on in sin and wickedness, and not judge
us! Can we suppose such a thing for a moment? For indeed what is the end of the world? The
creature man knows no other end of the world than the end of his own life, the end of his
probationary state; and to him, this is the end of the world. As man has no knowledge of the
world till he is born, so he cannot know any thing of that world which is to come till the soul goes
hence, to be here no more. Here their work is completed, and they centre at death in that place
where divine justice sees at to place them, as consistent with his goodness and mercy. But when
we look at God in the common and carnal view, there arise such strange ideas, as if all the
children of men, all the immortal souls of all that have been born on earth, and who have passed
away by death, are now located in some subterranean place, the same as in the body of this earth!
But, alas! they know nothing about it. They are waiting for a judgment day at a distance. But can
God delay judgment, my friends? No such thing. If we attend even to external testimony, we are
convinced of this. What did the Saviour say to the thief on the cross? There he was, a poor
culprit, who had been a prisoner, likely, for his wicked deeds, a good while, or time enough to
reflect on his evil conduct; and as he gathered to that point that is expressed--that point that he
was brought to when Jesus was on the cross with him. He repented--he made reconciliation with
his heavenly Father by repentance. Here Jesus saw his condition, and you may remember what he
said. In direct opposition to his fellow sufferer, he acknowledged the justice which was upon
them; but as for that innocent man, he had done nothing amiss: which drew front him the
declaration, "This day shalt thou be with me in paradise." Here now the spirit of Jesus and the
spirit of this thief ascended into paradise; that is, they were brought into a happy state. We speak
of ascending and descending, but there is no such thing, unless it is as it relates to a state of mind;
because that which is up to day will be down to night, for there is a continual rotation--it is all up
and all down, as to what we can see and observe. Yet so carnal are the people, that they think
heaven is up, and earth down: and it is because they worship an unknown God, or they would
know better than all these things. Had not the judgment then passed? Had it not been pronounced
to the thief on the cross, by the Son of God ? This shows that he thus declares him a fit inhabitant
for heaven: fit for communion with the God of his life, with Jehovah himself; that he was brought
into a condition in which he was fit to he continually and for ever with God; where he might
continue to praise and magnify his mercy and goodness. O, my friends I when I reflect on these
things. and see the carnality of the children of men, my spirit is made to mourn.
When did the creature man first lose paradise? When did he lose heaven? and by what means did
he place himself out of it ? It was by going counter to the law and manifested will of God his
creator. Now, did this alter his situation? Did it send him into any other place? No. It only altered
his state and condition, from that in which he was placed by his creator previous to his
transgression; where he was with the Father in all things, and who declared his will without a
mediator between him and the soul. It was only when man had fallen into sin and transgression
that he needed a mediator. So, here, when they come to know a reconciliation; when they return
back and acknowledge their transgressions, and know a being forgiven for all their sins, here is a
reconciliation; and now they set out anew, and confirm to the will and law of God, revealed in the
secret of their hearts. For the law is not written on tables of stone now, my friends, nor was it
ever written, (any thing that could save the soul,) upon tables of stone; but that law which was
written upon tables of stone, was only designed to save the bodies of the Israelites. And the law
was not good for Israel, for it was suffered to be a veil between them and their God; but it was
broken and rent from top to bottom, and an end put to that dispensation. When Jesus gave up the
ghost upon the cross, he said, "It is finished." For he had done his office, his great work. He had
finished the law, and abolished all the covenants and ceremonies; all the hand writing of
ordinances, which were not for us but against us. And we are now to have access again to the
holiest of all, the veil being taken away that covered the ark of the testimony. Jesus has entered
into the holy place as our forerunner. And how shall we have access unless we follow him as our
forerunner? We must follow up in him same righteousness, under the guidance of the same light
that he was led by; for nothing else will enable us to follow him who was holy, into the holiest of
all. Here, by his example, we are drawn, and his example shows us the way, and we must do as he
did; and he lived under the cross. "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross, and follow me." And what was his cross? Was it a wooden cross--or a silver
cross--or a golden cross? Was it a cross made by man? No. It was the eternal, unchangeable law
of God. This was his cross--this it was that he submitted to: all his propensities and dispositions
were crossed and governed by this. He kept this law as his rule, which enabled him to take up his
cross against every temptation. For he was "tempted in all points as we are, but without sin;" for
he never complied with temptation.
Now it is no sin to be tempted, but the sin consists in yielding to the temptation. We ought not to
be alarmed, my Friends, because we are tempted with evil sometimes, even if it should seem as
though we must give up--though it should be so powerful in the mind that it becomes a matter of
great suffering--though we should seem to feel as if we were doing all that the temptation pointed
to, yet all the time we may be struggling against it. And if we have not yielded, but only felt its
operation upon our minds, this brings suffering, the right kind of suffering, because of
righteousness; and by this we learn obedience. This was the case with our great pattern; he
learned obedience by the things he suffered. And nothing else could bring suffering, but these
same temptations he passed through, that he might set all example to all who followed him in this
way of holiness. And if we take up our cross and despise the shame, this is the great thing, my
friends; for I know that the dear young people are afraid of the shame, afraid of the pointing of
the finger, and the world's broad laugh. For whenever they turn away from the popular current, let
it be never so wicked, all will cry out fool, idiot, and what not. Now we must be strengthened to
withstand the torrent of this confusion and folly. And there is nothing that can enable us to stem
this torrent, but as we keep under the influence of the divine light, and have a willingness to
observe the divine law, let come what will.
Some will get so into the popular current, that they will go to work the work of God by the help
and command of man. And I have known some to say to a brother, pray! Now, what
presumption! It is taking the seat of God immediately, and presuming to be God, and to be
exalted above all that is called God and worshiped. "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles
of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth," and not man. Should
man undertake to do a single thing in God's work without the command of God? If he does, he is
a fool. This leads him, with the same tongue, to bless God and curse men.
No, my friends, in all our works we ought to admit of but one head, and have but one master.
And, therefore, when we attempt to do any thing by the contrivance or agreement of man, we
oppose God Almighty, and take his seat in the heart; and here it brings on darkness, death,
confusion, and every evil work.
My desire, therefore, is, that we may so sink down in this meeting, as to come to a right view of
these things, and be delivered from any attempt arising from the contrivance of the creature,
whether to promote religion or any thing else, till we are convinced that it is from the will of our
heavenly Father. We must feel his power; we must have an evidence of his light to show us the
way; and then we can go on without fear or trembling, as composedly as though we were in
heaven; and every thing we do would be agreeable to the will of God. But every thing we do in
religion, agreeable to the mind of man, it makes us tremble, because that God is not with us,
because we turn away from his counsel--it causes trembling to our bodily frames. But those who
do the commandments of God, are as bold as a lion; and nothing on earth--not all the powers of
men and devils, can make them tremble or fear. They are not afraid of their foundation; they dare
set it against all the rolling billows of time. It is all? It was the immoveable rock, as Jesus told his
disciples. And what was that rock? It was the revelation of the spirit of God--it was the power
and presence of God in the soul. "And upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell
shah not prevail against it." But we see the rock and foundation that the general body of Christian
professors build upon; they are alarmed if a poor worm seems to do something counter to their
rock; they are all alive-- they are scared off the ground? and show their foundation to be nothing
but sand.
This frequently brings to my mind the saying of good old Joash, when his son Gideon was called
of the Lord to go and do the Lord's work, to deliver Israel from their oppressors. He was a very
valiant man, and still he felt very doubtful; he felt himself unworthy and insufficient for any thing;
and how it brought him down. But it seemed that he could not give up till he proposed to the
Lord to give him a sign. The sign was, I think, that a fleece of wool should be spread through like
night, and to confirm his faith, in the morning the dew should be upon it, and none elsewhere.
Well, he was not satisfied, notwithstanding this was effected; but he would try again, so he turned
the fleece, and proposed that there should be dew all over the ground and none on the fleece and
this was also affected, here he was encouraged; but he had a great work to do at home. There was
the altar of Baal, which he was requested to destroy and break down. Well, this he effected in the
right season: and in the morning there was a great cry made, about who had thrown down the
altar of Baal; and it was finally fixed upon poor Gideon, to have effected it. Well, the men of the
city, the prophets of Baal, appealed unto Joash the father of Gideon, that he would give up his son
that they might destroy him. But see how wisely he reasoned with them. What, "will you plead for
Baal?" Are you afraid of poor Gideon, a mere worm? If Baal be a God, let him avenge himself. He
must be a miserable God if lie cannot avenge himself.
Now. my friends, won't this apply to all those who are scared off their foundation, and must rise
up to help their God, for fear that their foundation will be destroyed? I have often been brought
under a view of the carnality that is prevailing in the systematic proceedings of the professors of
Christianity. They are looking to creeds and professions, and they are all idols. And now if a
Gideon should rise up to destroy their idol, they want to fall upon the poor instrument--when it
would exactly apply, if they would only turn to the scriptures: "If Baal be the God that has given
you these things, let your God avenge himself." He must make a poor God that cannot do this.
You see, now, the ground of all the persecutions that have ever been in the world, in regard to
religion--that they have all been in consequence of worshiping an unknown God, and not coming
to the one living and true God, who is all perfect love and full of power: and those, and those
only, flint rally under him, and fly to him for refuge, shall bo established on the rock of ages,
against which the gates of hell can never prevail.
Oh! that we may learn wisdom; and where shall we look for it? Shall we go to books, or to the
sciences of men's wisdom as mortals? No, verily; for it is all foolishness with God. Where we are
to apply, we have been told by tho apostle: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that
giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." This ought to be, now,
our continual care. And what seemed at first to break in upon my mind was so complete, that it
seemed as if it were all that need be said--a being still, and entering into quiet and rest.
The Jewish nation had an outward covenant, but it was all carnal, because it consisted in earthly
things-it was outward and material. All their law and covenant was suited to their outward
heaven; and all their institutes were agreeable to it. But now, what is the Christian to do? What is
man, that desires redemption from sin, to do? "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted
among the heathen; I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us: the God of Jacob is
our refuge."
When we come to offer ourselves before the Almighty, how necessary it is to be still, and to do all
that we can to effect that purpose. For we are not, when under discouragements, immediately to
fall into fear and dismay. When something happens, as it were, like our wagon falling into the
ditch, we are not immediately to cry out to Hercules; but when it is really necessary. Now this is a
very instructive page, and although it is a fable, still how full of instruction it is. The man who had
his cart stuck in the mud, fell to bawling and crying to Hercules to come and help him. But
Hercules looking down upon him, cried out, thou fool, whip thy horses stoutly, and clap thy
shoulder to the wheel, and then if thou wilt call on Hercules, he will help thee. Now although this
is a fable, under the character of those who may be called heathen, that made it, yet it
comprehends great instruction and an excellent moral. So we must now not only be gathered
together, but we must set to work in good earnest, and do what the Lord has furnished us with
ability to do; and as he has given us the means to exercise, we ought to use all our mental powers
to get our bodies quiet, under a consideration that we are now in the presence of the Almighty
and merciful God, who will distribute onto us according to our wants and necessities. We are to
do all that we can, to be humble, and to show ourselves humble, by stilling our bodies and keeping
our minds clear of agitation and unprofitable thoughts. You know how they will get in. Oh, what
struggles I have had to keep them down! And when we have sometimes got the victory, if we
have not kept up a perfect watch over our minds, these foolish thoughts will spring up, and we
hardly know where they come from. And here our attention is turned away from God.
Then what a continual labour is necessary for us, in our solemn meetings, and whenever or
wherever we are meditating on the works of salvation and redemption. Here, as the creature
struggles in good earnest, and is desirous of effecting the great purpose which he is aiming at, he
comes to experience the divine power to still every thing--every improper cogitation of the mind.
For, until this is the case, we cannot receive him into it. He will not come into our hearts when we
are full of other guests; nor can we worship him. We may learn a form of prayer; and it may be
very good in the expression of words, and at the same time our hearts be filled with vain thoughts;
and the creature may be excited to put this form into execution by proposing to pray, while it is a
mere outward thing. What an affront this is to the Majesty of heaven! To pray by a form of
words! It is a great affront to the Majesty of heaven! For we know not what to pray for, but as
the spirit helpeth our infirmities, and teaches us what to pray for. And if we are not attentive to
this, if any outward calamity has befallen us, such as dearth, or what not, which may be designed
by Almighty God for our good, we may be praying right against his power; praying him to do
away these things to gratify us foolish, selfish creatures. But if we are under the influence of the
Holy Spirit, we shall be kept from this inconsistency, and shall rather pray that he will increase the
dearth and continue it three years, as most likely to effect the great purpose intended by it, to
bring us away from earthly attachments, and increase our dependence on him. But now when we
experience a little difficulty and affliction, we pray to be delivered from it to gratify our selfish
inclinations. Such prayers are all vain--they are all hypocritical.
But my dearly beloved friends--for I can call you so in that love which knows no bounds--my soul
craves that we may bow down to the light and life of God in our own souls--that humiliating
power. For the more we receive of it, and the more of its power is manifested for our rising up
and getting the victory--in the same proportion as we gain a victory over those things that harm
us, we shall be more and more humbled in the dust; because it is all of his mercy, for we have no
merit of our own. What a tendency it has to regulate our conduct, and to humble us, when we see
and reflect on the goodness and mercy of heaven. I want that all should be encouraged; and that
not even the drunkard should consider himself as a cast out. No, my friends, not so long as he
feels conviction for his drunkenness. For every time he is convicted, he knows it to be the God of
his salvation who is calling upon him, and willing to help him out of his lost and dissolute
situation. I want that all should hear and obey; for the call has gone forth to the ends of the earth.
"For all have heard, but all have not obeyed:" and so with every other one, the thief, the robber,
the adulterer, the whoremonger, the fornicator, I want that they should not give up, and sink
down into despair. This is the work of tho enemy of their souls. Their natural inclination leads
them to give up to this animal gratification. But so long as God is them calling out to them, so
long there is hope, my friends; and so long as they are called to hear what the spirit saith to the
churches, every one who has been doing evil may reform and come to God. And what infatuation,
that any should ever like doing evil, when they must feel that they are losing more than they can
ever gain--as nothing but turmoil and distress is the portion of the wicked man. For Divine
Wisdom has so ordered it, that every rational creature must find the reward of his doings, for in
every act, if he has been wicked, trouble and anguish will be the reward; and if just, justification,
and joy, and peace, full of glory.
So that we all have a time. The Almighty is doing and will continue to do, all that a gracious God
can possibly do for the redemption of his creature man--for the redemption of his rational
children. For he has placed them in the most eligible station that an infinite God could have done.
For we cannot suppose that he would place them in any other state, than that which would be
accordant with his consummate goodness. Here we see as our probation is in the wisdom, mercy,
and power of God, we ought not to murmur because we are tempted, for there is a power always
at hand, if we attend to the light of truth. There is something which will enable us to rise superior
to it, and become victorious, through the manifestation of the will anti power of God in our own
souls. Be persuaded then, my friends; for we have an abundance of evidence, that the more we are
brought under the influence of this holy teacher; the more we are subject to divine grace--the
more and more we shall be turned to do the thing that is right--the more and more we shall be
united together--the more and more we shall enjoy that social communion, in which all our
happiness with one another consists. But by becoming strongly fixed in notions of our own, and
hy exalting ourselves and considering ourselves better than others, and judging others, our unity is
broken, the bond of love is severed, and confusion and anarchy ensue. Here men take the seat of
God, for we are only to answer to the Almighty for our views--we are not to he concerned to give
an account to man, so long as our views are such as lead us to love our creator above all, and our
fellow creatures as ourselves. What matter is it what opinions rest in our minds? for we are all to
attend to our own salvation: and if we are concerned to do this, will we give way to notions that
will hinder this salvation? God is to judge of these things; and man is only to judge of the overt
acts of his fellow creatures--such as have a tendency to injure his fellow creatures. But if a brother
does all his duty, consistent with the will of God Almighty, we have no right to judge any farther
than this, "By their fruits ye shall know them." We know that love and good works are the only
fruits of the right and good tree: but the contrary fruit is the fruit of thorns and briars always and
perpetually.
O, my dear friends, how my soul craves it of the God of our lives and of our salvation, that he will
enlighten our hearts more and more, and spread abroad the curtain of his love over us, that we
may feel it to be what it is-that he may shed abroad his love in our hearts, that so we may love him
above all. And we cannot do this till we know him to be above all things glorious and precious to
ns. We must know him to fill all things, to fill our souls with his glory and majesty; and than it is
that we can love him with our wilde heart, and our neighbours as ourselves. Here we should be
qualified to do to others, as we would that they should do to ns. Now here we shall be qualified to
fulfil the law, and nothing ever did it or can do it, but as we turn inward and dwell under the
influence of his grace; and that will teach us, agreeably to what the apostle declares: "The grace of
God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men." And we might know it if we had never
read the apostle; for we feel it reproving for sin--it is the gospel preached in every creature under
heaven. It was preached to Adam and Eve in paradise, and it is preached to all, the world over.
And every rational soul has the same preacher, the grace of God, the manifestation and life of
God in the soul. "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men,
teaching us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and
godly in this present world."
Here all is done for us, by this grace of God, that need be done for us, as we must see, if we
believe the apostle, and as we know by our own experience. For we know of nothing else, that
ever did the least possible good, in the way and work of the soul's salvation, from what we read
or any thing else, but as it is received from the immediate manifestation of God in the soul--the
wisdom of God manifesting itself for our help and salvation. And, as the apostle declares, it will
give the victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil, and every tiling that can hurt or harm us.
Therefore, let every one be encouraged, for there is hope for all--there is balm in Gilead, and a
physician there. Then let us apply to him for it,--we shall not find it in any outward tree or garden,
but in the garden of our own hearts. There he makes his abode-there is the garden that we are to
look over, and nurse, and keep, and cut down all the weeds. It is the outward garden that we are
to attend to, as it regards our souls' salvation or preservation. Here we deny all unrighteousness
and ungodliness, and every thing that hurts and wounds; and it will enable all to love
righteousness and to perfect true godliness in the fear of the Lord. Thus we are brought on from
step to step, to experience a blessed deliverance---a fall reconciliation with our Father in heaven:
we shall be brought to place our whole confidence on him and feel him to be our support. And as
we keep with him, and put our whole confidence in him, nothing can harm us--it makes us happy.
And this is the experience of all those that fix their souls on God. For a soul fixed on God its
maker, for support and countenance, while passing through fills probationary state, is happy
beyond all finite comprehension.
And what was the declaration of Jesus Christ the Saviour? "I am the way, the truth and the life: no
man cometh unto the Father but by me." And when persecuting Saul had received a commission
to persecute them that called on this name--the name of Jesus, he was suddenly arrested in his
course. A light shone about him, and those that were with him, exceeding the brightness of the
sun, and he was smitten to the earth. And what did he hear? He heard the divine voice, "Saul,
Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus
whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." And he who had been a
persecutor was made to suffer much for that name, and was made powerful to stand for that name
even in the midst of persecution. So that although he was made sensible that in all places where he
came bonds and afflictions awaited him, yet he counted these things as nothing, so that in the end
he might win Christ and be found faithfully serving him. And it is so, and it will remain to be so,
that those who stand faithful, looking to their divine leader and commander all the clamor of the
world, all the persecution of man, will be of no avail, in turning their feet aside from this straight
course. For, what a cloud of witnesses--what a weight of testimony have we, that through this
divine name, and by his power, even through the name of Jesus Christ the son of God, and by his
power, all things are possible, unto them that stand faithfully to him. When the disciples Peter and
John were requested by the man who had been lame from his birth for an alms, what did they say?
"Silver and gold have we none; but such as we have give we thee: in the name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth rise up and walk." And he who had been lame from his birth, under the power of this
Saviour of men arose, perfectly restored to wholeness. And when these two apostles were called
to account before the rulers of the Jews, who had before persecuted the Lord of life, they stood
with all holiness and said, "Be it known unto you that by the name of Jesus of Nazareth whom ye
did crucify, does this man stand before you whole; nor is there salvation in any other. This is the
stone that was rejected by you builders, which God has made the head of the corner." Yea, my
friends, it is the living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious: unto
whom if you come, he will receive you and forgive all your sins, and your iniquities will be blotted
out; for he hath graciously declared, that no man shall come unto him and be rejected. He is the
mediator between God and man, and the advocate with the Father. He was the great high priest,
whom the apostle declared had passed into heaven, there to appear in the presence of God for us.
Far was it from me, when I entered this house, to open my mouth in this assembly; but I feel
myself constrained to bear my testimony to those principles, which have ever been the
fundamental principles of this society. It is not for naught, that we are from time to time
recommended carefully to instruct our children and families in the diligent perusal of the holy
scriptures, wherein are plainly set forth the miraculous conception, birth, holy life, wonderful
works, meritorious death, glorious resurrection, and mediation of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus
Christ. We bear the name of Christians before men; and do we individually feel, that we are not in
name only, but in deed and in truth disciples and followers of him who laid down his precious life
for us? He entered not into the holy places made with hands, as did the high priests of the Jews,
with blood of others: "For then," as the apostle says, "must he often have suffered since the
foundation of the world; but now once, in the end of the world, hath he appeared, to put away sin
by the sacrifice of himself."
O, my friends ! this is a subject that nearly concerns every one of us. Our religious society has
never taught its members to depend solely on the outward sacrifice. No! it has been far otherwise.
We hold it as a fundamental principle that we must attend to the work of God in the heart--the
revelation of Christ within. For he declares that those who meet in his name, he will be with them;
and that he will be with them unto the end of the world. And he is making good this his promise in
the present day; and where two or three meet in his name, that is, in his power, reverently waiting
on him, he will appear, and does appear, to the comfort and strengthening. and to the support of
these. And he will give strength unto these to stand for his name and testimony, and even in the
midst of a crooked and perverse generation. These will be enabled to stand under every
circumstance; and in the hands of these, as instruments, his cause will go on and prosper. I believe
he never will suffer to be wanting, in his church, instruments to stand, firmly to stand, for his
cause and testimony. That I feel earnestly desirous, that we may indeed endeavour to get into a
state of silent, solemn waiting upon him; that we may be willing to lay aside our own selfish
views, that when we come to a meeting for worship, we may feel, that we have no other object in
view, than the glory of God, and the good of our own souls and the souls of others.
O, my friends! the cause never was and never will be advanced, by any other course of conduct
than this. My very soul was pained in this meeting, when an exercised sister was endeavouring to
spread before this assembly the exercise of her mind, to observe, what must have been very
evident to every one of us, a disposition in some, l hope not in many, to drown her voice in
clamor and noise. My friends, even one of the apostles witnessed something of this kind; but by
whom was it? It was not by the disciples of Christ. There was even a clamor raised--"Away with
such a man from the earth; it is not fit that lie should live." But he was moved by none of these
things; and some of his followers know, that the cause they are bound to advocate is of too
solemn and important a nature, for them to be thus intimidated by noise; they feel that they stand
upon the ground of truth. It is my only hope, and it is for the good of the souls of those who are
endeavouring to disturb the silence of this assembly, that I have felt constrained to speak. And my
soul's desire for us is, that when we retire to our respective homes, we may, with that light which
we have heard recommended to us, the light of Christ within, examine, every one of us, into the
motives of our conduct. For there is a judge who will judge every one of us, according to our
works, whether they are good, or whether they are evil; and, if we really are followers of that
light, we shall be willing that our deeds should be brought to the light "For he that loveth the truth
cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." Then
may we, every one of us, examine ourselves whether we are indeed children of the light and of the
day. And there is a witness for God in the secret of every soul that will tell us; if, in the cool of the
day, in the silence of all carnal reasoning, and the will of the flesh, we turn to it with a real desire
to see what our condition is, it will show ns what our state is. And thus must every soul of us feel
convicted, if our motives in coming to assemblies like this, are other than a real desire to know
what is truth. And how manliest it is, many times, that in this peaceful state, we may humble
ourselves at the feet of the blessed Jesus, take his yoke upon us, and learn of him who was meek
and lowly in heart. Then, and not till
[Here, the tokens of disapprobation, which had for some time manifested themselves, were
swelled into a degree of confusion, in which a part of the closing sentence was lost.]
Now I have been learning all the time my friend has been speaking; for we call learn, not only
from things that are right, but by things that are wrong; both as it regards spiritual things and
temporal things. We have now had an opportunity for several individuals to give their views: and
now it is for us to say, and for you to judge. Now, where is the judgment seat, and who is to
judge us? Our friend has told us, and we can profit by it, that there is a witness for God placed in
every mind; and it was this that enabled the primitive disciples to write what they did, under the
influence of the Spirit. Therefore, they wrote according to their views; but no man can unfold
these writings, and give a right view of them, except he is influenced by the same spirit that those
had who wrote them. It was only the inspiring spirit of God, that enabled the primitive disciples to
know God; and without this inspiration no man ever did know God. We learn, likewise, that the
name is the power; and this is not contained in the five letters that spell JESUS--no one of
common sense will suppose this. But it was the power of his heavenly Father that was in him,
when actively on earth. He tells us, that it was his Father that enabled him to do all his miracles.
He says, "It is not I that do the works, but my Father that is in me. For my Father is greater than
I." See, then, how we can learn, when we are sober and serious. Then let all our faculties be
rightly exercised; let right reason and revelation go hand in hand; for reason is the most noble part
of the creature; it gives a distinction between thing and thing. And as it is a gift of God, so we
shall find that it is fully so,--a gift to the soul.
Now these are the two witnesses. The witness for God which he has placed in every mind--the
revelation of his spirit in the rational and immortal soul of man; and the reason which he has a
capacity of exercising in conformity to what the spirit makes manifest. For reason can do nothing
of itself; therefore, it is only to decide as things are revealed to us by the light. Our reason would
be dormant, as to the things of this world, were it not for revelation. The light of the outward sun
is a beautiful index of the sun of heaven, as it reveals all things on our earth; and until it shines
upon our earth, reason lies dormant. And so it is, though in itself it has the same capacity, reason
lies dormant till things are opened to it by the light of heaven. As by the light of the outward sun
We see things upon the earth, we can give unto them names, and can settle on what names things
shall be called by. We are thus enabled to speak of things, to regulate things, to add to and
diminish from things; and thus, under the operation of reason, we can make them in a measure
useful; in a measure a blessing to us. Here we see the ability of this reason; but as reason is lower
than divine revelation, it must always be subject to revelation. It knows nothing till revelation
gives it materials, by which the soul can act upon them, and improve them.
Here it comes to the one point, that the name of Jesus is nothing but the power of God and the
wisdom of God. And that it is so, we find from abundance of testimonies in the inspired writings:
but the translators were not inspired men, for they declared against inspiration. Here then, as we
have been told, we must come to a revelation in our own hearts to assure us what is right or
wrong; and the scriptures, in their fullest extent, can go no further than to recommend us to God,
the one thing needful. And no true minister ever attempted any further, than to recommend to this
light and spirit of God. It was the ultimatum of Jesus Christ in his outward manifestation. It was
his command not to move or take one step till they had tarried at Jerusalem, exempted from all
outward dependance; for he wanted to show them that they could do nothing at all, without that
power which had enabled him to do the work; and which was a manifestation of his Father's
power in him. Here he said, "Tarry at Jerusalem till ye receive power from on high; and ye shall
receive it when the Holy Ghost is come upon you." And not till then, can any man bear testimony
to the truth of the scripture records. We know, that they who wrote they were inspired men; but
then what a diversity of opinions there is about them, and it will be eternally so, while we go to
the scriptures only, which can do nothing more than to recommend us to that which, Jesus
recommended to Martha.
We must now leave it to the people to judge; and I hope, that no soul will believe a single word
that I have said, unless it be from mere conviction. Now, if we will let each speak, and then we
judge, we shall be profited by it; but if do not enter into this quiet resignation to our lots we shall
not be profited, as I have observed. And if any speak improperly, though no man take notice of
them; yet. no doubt, the witness in the soul would give uneasiness, if they attempted to speak for
controversy sake, to give an opinion in opposition to another; and they could never feel peaceable
under it, when left alone. So we must leave this to God., who will do his work in us and for us.
I mention these things to stimulate us to order~ in all our meetings. Let the dear children try to be
patient. and to be quiet; because it is not allowing a brotherly freedom, to rise up and stop an
individual who wants to speak, and because we have an order in our assemblies. And if we keep
to the order established, and which we believe to have been set up under the guidance of truth, we
shall never be broken to pieces; we shall always be united. But the unity of the Spirit does not
need outward laws and rules at all; for every one under the influence of this, is like an epistle
written in the heart, and these cannot be separated--neither time nor distance can separate those
souls that are united in this divine lift and love. But we must, while in these earthen tabernacles,
have order for the regulation of these outward bodies--there will ever be need of this order. For
one generation passeth away and another cometh; and children when they come into the world,
bring no knowledge with them--they must gain it all here. Some have one view and some another;
some are very weak; some can use meat, and some cannot eat meat, and others can eat herbs
only; but let not him that eateth, condemn him that eateth not; but let every man be fully
persuaded in his own mind. And so long as there is harmony--while the outward bond which is to
preserve harmony in bodies is maintained, how can there be any confusion in our meeting
together, for it can only be a breach of order that leads to confusion, and it will lead to anarchy.
Now; what I want is, that we should not rise up to take the seat of judgment, and to turn God
out. But we must consider the discipline that we have made, to be only outward, and relating to
these bodies, because the true discipline is the law of God written in our hearts; and to this we
must refer for an interpreter in every thing--it is above every thing else. For God has placed an
unerring witness and guide in every soul, and the soul that is faithful to it, will never do any thing
to harm a fellow creature, but honor God in all his works.