WORSHIP THE LORD IN THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS

A Sermon Delivered by THOMAS SHILLITO, Date and Place Not Given.
Sermons Preached by Members of the Society of Friends. London: Hamilton, Adams, &. Co., 1832, pages 110-112.

This is The Quaker Homiletics Online Anthology, Part 3: The 19th Century.

"Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, in newness of life." This must well become our state, and our situation, if we are ever experimentally to witness for ourselves, what it is to "present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable, to God, which is our reasonable service;" considering the altogether dependant situation we are placed in to the Almighty, for every temporal and ever spiritual blessing we enjoy. I am aware, my friends, this is a high, a great attainment; but at the same time, I am confirmed in the belief, that it is that grace, that it is that piety, which our heavenly Father designs each one of us should know, and witness being brought into. But if this becomes our merciful experience, we must be willing to have all that is high in us brought low; to have that brought back, that as been rambling up and down in the world, in search of the gratifications of time and sense; that so we may, in adorable mercy and loving kindness, come to experience that in us, with holy certainty, we shall be able to behold the Lamb of God that taketh away sin; to behold our holy Redeemer, in his various characters, as our Intercessor, as our Advocate with the Father; and have that renewed ability, from day to day, whereby a capacity will be received to worship him in the beauty of holiness, and in newness of life. And, therefore, my friends, I desire on my account, and I desire on your account, that we may be in good earnest, be willing, from day to day, to press after those blessing, and this happy experience, that so we may be found standing among the people, in those characters which our heavenly Father designs we should be; "as lights of the world; as a city set on a hill, which cannot be hid;" that so, others beholding our circumspect, our upright walk, in all fear before the Lord, may be willing to come forward and covenant with him.