archs, and prophets, in all ages. "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy;" and how directly is this in opposition to that abominable doctrine, that revelation has ceased. And on what is the church of Christ built? Is it not built upon the revealed will of God? What said Christ? "Whom do men say that I, the son of man, am? And they said, some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, and some Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, but whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say unto thee, that thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Now the church is not built on Peter, but on that power which revealed unto Peter, that he was Christ. And it is this power which must give us an understanding of things which are true, and which must enable us to dwell in those things which are true, even in Jesus Christ; this is the true God and eternal life: and this was the fulfilment of that declaration, "I in them and thou in me, that they also may be one in us.” Now when we come to experience these effects produced in us, by the operation of this holy principle, then the scriptures will be valuable to us as corroborative testimony; for then shall we have pourtrayed before us the experience of men in former ages-those who have trodden the same path of self-denial and obedience. They will be unto us a comfort;-they will be profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; and we through faith, and comfort of the scriptures, shall have our hope increased. Then, not only the scriptures themselves, but every other external evidence, yea all the workmanship of the hand of God, will be corroborative testimony. And every action of our minds will form an instructive lesson unto us. Even our slips, misses, and short comings in the path of righteousness; these will be warnings to us for the time to come. Now this, my friends, is loud preaching. It is the gospel of Christ preached in every creature. It is the Comforter which was testified of by Christ-"It is expedient for you, that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment;" and he shall, "bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." And in attending to this divine principle, it would make us wiser than all our teachers; we should be enabled to see our own state and condition, and our understandings would be opened to those things which yet appear mysterious: for there is nothing mysterious in religion. It is so plain, that no one can err therein. It is "the way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those; the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: and the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion, with songs of everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing, shall flee away." ence. وو Religion never was mysterious, till it was clothed in abstract propositions, and false sciAbstract propositions are to the truth, as covering is to the human body. They form no part of its essence. They have a tendency to cover it, and hide it from the view of the mind; and thus much of its benefit is lost, for truth needs no covering; it never appears in so great purity, as in its own naked loveliness. Therefore, to this principle, which is the life of God in the soul, I desire to recommend you; for it will lead you, and guide you into all truth. It will lead you out of the bondage of sin and corruption, into the glorious liberty of the sons and daughters of God. It will lead you into the spirit of adoption, whereby you can cry, Abba, Father. It will thus enable you, to "love your enemies; to bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." It is this divine principle which will support you in adversity, preserve you in prosperity, and be with you in all the trying circumstances of life. It will disarm death of its sting, and the grave of its victory. And it will open a new and a living way, even unto that which is within the vail, the holiest of all;-where all the ingenuity of human invention can never come;-where every disposition being in accordance with the divine purity, we shall bow before the divine footstool, and in the language of the scriptures, and of our own experience, we shall find indubitable evidence, which will enable us to adopt the language of Abba, Father. Because we shall be begotten into the one life, by the one spirit, and thus we shall experience that hope which will be an anchor unto our souls, sure and steadfast, and which will never be separated from us. And we shall have an evidence, that when we CONTENTS. Page SERMON I. BY THOMAS WETHERALD, at Pine street Meeting, 7 SERMON II. BY THOMAS WETHERALD, at Arch street Meeting, 43 SERMON III. BY THOMAS WETHERALD, at Rose street Meet- 81 SERMON IV. By Elias Hicks, same Meeting, - 109 SERMON V. BY THOMAS WETHERALD, at Hester street meet- - 127 SERMON VI. By ELIZABETH ROBSON, at Rose street Meet- - 150 PRAYER. BY ANNA BRAITHWAITE, Same Meeting, - 183 SERMON VII. BY THOMAS WETHERALD, same Meeting, - 185 - 199 201 235 285 |